


In Dreams

by Systra



Category: Star Wars, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Action, F/M, Mandalorian, Romance, Slow Burn, Star Wars - Freeform, the mandalorian - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:26:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21992164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Systra/pseuds/Systra
Summary: While taking a job in order to help fund his mission to find The Child’s people, The Mandalorian comes across someone who may be able to help him in his quest.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Original Character(s), Din Djarin (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Character, Din Djarin (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s), Din Djarin x OC, The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV) & Original Character(s), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV) & Others, The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Character, The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever published fanfic! I wanted to write a beautiful, celestial romance story for our hero that keeps his characterization intact and also contains action. I’ve taken some liberties by expanding on Star Wars lore & I hope you like what I’ve come up with. If you enjoy the story or have critique please let me know! You can also find the story here: systra.tumblr.com <3

**In Dreams**

Outside the cockpit window was an Elysian world. Stars glowing softly as they came back into focus after the ship had dropped from hyperspeed back into a steady pace. The Mandalorian’s gloved fingers pressed a few buttons before dropping into an idle position on the armrests of the Captain’s chair. His helmeted gaze came to rest on the empyrean visage he had seen countless times from the very position he sat in now. The familiar hush of space settled in and around him, the mysterious silence of the cosmos something he had always thought of as comforting. And yet, as he stared out into that celestial quiet, he felt the all too familiar feeling of....something amiss. That subtle heartbeat of discomfort, the undercurrent that gently floated beneath all his waking hours. What it was he couldn’t place. He wasn’t sure he wanted or needed to. In this moment was only the calm, the Quiet, the endless reaches of stars. 

-

The planet was small, and heavily forested. As far as the eye could see, massive pines and oaks stretched across into the horizon. Deep into the towering trees must have been civilization of some sort, as smoke rose indicating that fires burned. The Mandalorian inhaled deeply, taking in the sylvan scent that surrounded him. The air was fresh and cool, the wind making the branches of the trees sway softly in the direction away from the clearing he’d landed in. Beckoning him to begin his search. 

Taking out the bounty puck, he hit the button and once more a hologram issued up, showing him the target once more. The image had clearly been taken from far away and was therefore not entirely clear - but one thing was for certain. It was a woman. He had read the accompanying description several times, memorizing the key physical features it had mentioned. 

With a last look at the ship, his mind turned to the precious cargo onboard. His reason for taking this job in the first place - the child. There came a sort of mental twitch to the bounty hunter’s mind, the familiar twinge of anxiety that accompanied having to leave the child alone. It didn’t last long, however - the ship was the safest place for the little one to be at the moment. 

The Mandalorian began his journey into the primeval prison, his hand not far from his blaster as he carefully made his way in the direction of civilization. 

After about an hour’s walk, he stopped and checked the mapping compass built into his bracer. He should’ve reached where those smoke trails had been arising from by now. The wind picked up a bit, pulling at his cape as though mocking him for getting himself lost. Strange. His tracking skills hadn’t failed him before—

It was at that moment that a deep growl issued forth from behind him in the trees. By the time the Mandalorian had whirled halfway around to find the growl’s origin, the air had been knocked out of his lungs as he hit the forest’s floor with a sickening thud. A massive, furred beast had charged and was attempting to claw into his flesh with hideously large talons. Saliva dripped from equally enormous fangs as the creature roared into the Mando’s helmeted face, snapping its jaws inches away as he attempted to fend the beast off. A white hot flash of pain hit the bounty hunter as the beast landed a blow to his side. He somehow managed to score a hit to the creature’s eye and as it hesitated, the Mando didn’t waste the opportunity to grasp his blaster and shoot it just below its arm. The creature roared and charged once more, knocking the bounty hunter back against a tree. Despite his helmet lessening the impact, the Mando saw stars as his head hit the tree’s unyielding trunk. His recovery was impeccable however, as the distance put between him and the monstrous animal was enough for him to land 3 more shots between its eyes. 

It hit the ground with a defeated thud and the bounty hunter slowly lowered his arm, his blaster falling out of his hand as the other came up to touch the large wound on his side. His blurred vision looked down to see a veritable river of blood flowing forth from his torso. The coppery scent filled his nostrils as his vision went black. 

-

_At first he dreamed of fire. Explosions reflected off the shining metal of a battle droid. A memory he could escape neither in waking or in dreams. Lamentations that should never fill a child’s ears the familiar dirge he had heard in his mind so many times since it first occurred. The sickly scent of shrapnel and blood, tearing a river through the fabric of his fever dreams._

_The hellish memories faded into blurred vision as he felt a gentle hand rub a sweet smelling poultice into the wound at his side. The pain was searing, his parched throat issuing forth a groan. Swiftly the pain began to fade as the plant matter’s effects gently spread through his body, the honeyedsmellfilling his head as he drifted away._

_This time, his dreams were sweet. The image of a white rose blooming in a glass vase. His bare hand softly dipping into a gently running stream, the water caressing his fingertips. A pink horizon at dusk on a desert planet. The sound of wind chimes softly singing in the breeze._

_-_

Birds twittered softly outside, coaxing the Mandalorian to wake. A clouded vision of a woman in white, sitting over him with her hands hovering above the wound in his side was just at the edge of his consciousness, slipping away swiftly as dreams were wont to do. It only took a few moments after the vision faded that he started, alarmedly looking around the hut he found himself in. With a slight groan, he sat up on the edge of the bed to survey his surroundings. The cottage he found himself in was small & somewhat primitive, but comfortable. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling, creating a pleasant fragrance mixed with woodsmoke from the crackling fireplace.

“It wasn’t a dream.”

A woman’s bemused voice came from the open doorway of the cottage, bringing the bounty hunter fully into waking life as his head snapped over towards her direction. 

What met his gaze was the girl from the bounty puck. 

A petite woman in her mid 20s, with pale skin and light red hair tumbling far past her waist. She was wearing a long white tunic and carried a basket full of bright blue leaves of some kind. About her neck was a pendant bearing a cloudy, cerulean stone. The bounty hunter had no doubt in his mind that it was her. 

He watched her silently as she crossed the small cottage’s floor to set the basket on a tiny table in front of the only window. Her lips carried a soft smile at their edges, even as her blue eyes left the Mando’s helmeted visage. 

“You had quite a close call there. The claws of the Daglaks are poisonous. Had I found you but an hour later, you’d surely be dead.” 

Remembering the encounter with the animal in the forest, his hand came to touch the several blood-stained holes in the canvas shirt covering his side. The beast’s claws had managed to get him right at the spot below his shining beskar armor, one of few vulnerable areas. He was amazed to find, as he pressed his gloved fingers in the fabric’s holes, that there appeared to be no trace of his wound left. 

“How long have I been out?” His deep voice came from inside the helmet, the vocoder texturing his voice with a slightly robotic quality. 

“I would say, about 5 hours.” The redhead answered him, her lips curling ever so slightly again in that knowing smile as she came to sit in one of two chairs at the table bearing her basket of leaves. 

Five hours, and not even a scab in the place he’d been deeply slashed by the beast. _How_...?

“I’m an _Anreth_. A healer.” Came her voice, in answer to what she must have (correctly)assumed him to be wondering. She had begun to gently tear at the leaves in the basket. “I’m Systra. Systra Phen.” Suddenly she looked up at him with a smile, her blue eyes glimmering with something like anticipation, like the idle flames of a campfire dancing. “Are you a bounty hunter?”

“Yes.” He replied evenly, picking up his blaster from the small bedside table where she had placed it, as well as his jet pack, while he was unconscious. Holstering it, he stood and stared at her from beneath his helmet. He felt no need to lie to her about his occupation, despite the fact that she was his current target.

Her sparkling gaze returned to the leaves as she poured them from the basket into a bowl. The Mando noticed a white bandage wrapped around one of her wrists. “That sounds very exciting. Have you ever been to Telris? It’s small, on the Outer Rim. It’s where I’m from.” The healer stood, picking up her emptied basket and a worn lavender cloak draped over the back of her chair. The Mandalorian watched her without answering her previous question, taking in the situation and the woman who had, apparently, rescued him from a venomous end. 

“Not a man of many words are you?” Systra looked at him with a brow quirked. She was pretty, something that hadn’t been readily apparent from the distorted bounty puck’s hologram. 

“Well, you’re welcome to stay here for the remainder of the day, to rest if you like. I’m pretty sure you hit your head. I don’t think it’s serious but I didn’t actually get a look at it.” She gestured in the direction of his helmet. “I...sensed you wouldn’t want me to take that off.”

“Thank you...for your help.” 

Nodding softly at him, that slight curl of her lips remained as she fastened the cloak about her. “There’s food in the cupboard. I’m going to pick some more Pelnit flowers down by the stream, so you’ll have some privacy.” Her eyes briefly roved down to his blaster and then back up to where his gaze would be underneath his helm, quickly taking in his form before exiting the cabin.

Left with only the soft crackle of the fireplace and the muffled sound of wind chimes outside(which he noted as also not being just part of his feverish dreams), he moved towards the window. He watched Systra as she walked towards the stream not far from the hut, and knelt down to pick the cobalt flowers beside it.

Something felt deeply.... peculiar about the whole situation. He was running out of time to analyze it, however, as the child had already been left alone at the ship for too long. The child.... 

His mind flashed back to when he had seen the little one use his...unique abilities to heal a potentially fatal injury. The dream-like vision of Systra with her hands hovering just above his poisonous wounds came rushing back. Did she possess the same ability to heal somewhat miraculously as the child did? If so, she may have other hidden “talents” that could complicate turning her in to the client. The Mandalorian felt a twinge of guilt - after all the woman had saved his life. But he barely had enough credits left for food for both him and the child, much less fuel and other necessities while on his search for the Child’s people.When it came down to it, if he had to choose between Systra and the child’s needs - he must choose the latter. 

-

The Mandalorian opened the cottage door as quietly as possible, cautiously moving towards the healer’s form seated on the ground. Her back was to him as she picked the blue flowers at the edge of the stream, gently placing them in her basket. Moving slowly towards her without a sound, his hand came to rest lightly on the hilt of his blaster. 

As he came within just a few feet of her, however, something made him stop and instead speak to her in a calm voice. “How did my wounds heal so quickly?”

“I think you already know.” She answered, without even looking back at him as she gathered a bouquet into her hands. 

She stood and faced him without looking up, her arms full of the blue flowers. Her eyes were closed as she gently inhaled the scent of the blooms in her arms, before finally looking up at him steadily. “Pelnit flowers help to stop infection, and they bring pleasant dreams.” At her words, the Mandalorian was reminded of the tender images he had seen while unconscious in the cottage. 

Systra broke his gaze to glance down at his hand still resting on his blaster, then back up to his eyeline with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes and in her voice. “So it’s like that huh?”

“It— no.” He answered, the dreamy visions snuffed out like a candle in his mind. “Just a reflex.” He removed his hand entirely from the blaster before addressing her again. The bounty hunter’s metal-encased head glanced about, taking in the color of the sky - it was nearly dusk. “I need to return to my ship. But, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you. May I return in the morning?”

Still clutching the bundle of flowers, a soft smile came across Systra’s pale features as she stared up at him. “Of course.” Glancing down at the Pelnit flowers, she pulled a few away from the others and held out the small bundle to the bounty hunter. “Here. Should you ever have need of it.”

-

Despite using the jet pack to help him locate his ship, it was night by the time the Mandalorian reached the _Razor Crest,_ a blanket of stars covering the sky seen above the tree tops. The ship appeared undisturbed for all intents and purposes, but the bounty hunter rushed inside nonetheless. 

He immediately went to the cockpit and looked inside the metal orb hovering silently near the captain’s chair. The small green child lay inside, fast asleep - his large, innocent eyes opening at the sound of footsteps. The bounty hunter reached in and gently picked up the toddler, holding him against his chest as he grabbed the small container of food near the makeshift cradle. Sitting in the captain’s chair, he fed the little one from the container, knowing he must have been starving after going most of the day without food. 

“Well, I found the target.” He spoke out loud to the child as he fed him, despite never actually knowing if the little one could understand his words. “There’s been some new, _developments_ in the plan.” The child looked up at him with large, inquisitive eyes as he chewed softly. “I think she may be....like you.” 

Once the little one was sufficiently fed, the Mandalorian leaned back in the Captain’s chair with the child resting in the crook of his arm. Staring out the window into the lucent night sky, his thoughts were a jumbled mess. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something.... fated was at play here. If the healer possessed similar powers as the Child, she may know something about the baby’s people - or other information pertinent to his quest. One thing was for certain, however: he couldn’t turn Systra in. Not yet. 


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mandalorian has decided not to turn in the target - instead he resolves to learn what he can from her, in aid of his quest for the Child's people. However, some obstacles arise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part Two is finally done! So continues the celestial romance. Please let me know if you enjoy the story or have any thoughts! More chapters are in the works. You can also read it at systra.tumblr.com. <3

**In Dreams - Part Two**

  
Birds sang in the trees around the Mandalorian as he approached the healer’s cottage. Trailing behind him was the metallic orb carrying the child, sealed up in case any trouble - Daglaks or otherwise - should arise on their journey to see Systra. The morning air was crisp, and perfumed with the aroma of the pines and oaks that surrounded the bounty hunter and his charge.

He was both surprised and irritated when he realized that a subtle ball of anxiety had knotted itself in his stomach. He chalked it up to his eagerness and hope that the healer could help him in his quest to discover the foundling’s people, or the nature of his power. 

With a gentle knock upon the cottage’s front door, the Mandalorian cleared his throat softly before the door opened and Systra stood before him. The redhead smiled, her eyes bright and giving the impression that she was genuinely pleased to see him. 

“Hi.” she said, brushing stray strands of her long hair back behind her shoulder. She was wearing another long tunic of a rosy pink color, and the bandage was still around her wrist. Her other hand left the door as she stood back, gesturing for him to come inside. “Please, come in.”

With a polite nod, the bounty hunter walked inside the cabin, the hovering bassinet trailing behind him. He quietly breathed in the cottage’s welcoming scent of dried herbs and woodsmoke, as memories of the previous day’s events rushed back to him. The air in the hut was warm and inviting, a reflection of its tenant. 

Systra’s gaze trailed after the metal orb curiously. Shutting the door gently behind them, she turned to face the Mandalorian with her hands clasped behind her back. “How are you feeling after yesterday?” 

“Fine... Thank you.” His own voice sounded stiff to him under the robotic quality of the vocoder. The helmet tilted sideways in a sort of fidget, as he wasn’t sure if he should sit or wait for her invitation to. He found his irritation with himself growing as the slight tangle of nerves knotted further in his belly. 

Systra’s brows rose as though she could sense his restless state, but her genuine smile remained. Her gaze returned to curiosity as she gestured toward the pod hovering beside her guest. “What have you got there?”

“It’s... what I wanted to talk to you about.” The bounty hunter’s orange-tipped gloves pressed the button on the top of the metal orb. The enclosing hatch opened up, revealing the child who was sitting forward, his large dark eyes blinking up at the Mando before slowly moving his gaze to Systra.

The healer let out a soft but audible gasp, her lips remaining parted as she took in the sight. “Stars above....!” She breathed, her hand coming up to her cheek slowly. Glancing up at the bounty hunter, a large smile broke across her face as she slowly took a step forward towards the child. “Who is this sweet little one?” Her voice held restrained excitement in it, even as she spoke softly so as not to frighten the child. 

The Mandalorian exhaled quietly with relief as Systra walked over and knelt down in front of the baby with the smile never leaving her face. It was a welcome change from past reactions from some of his fellow brigands, of shallow indifference or hostility. 

“He is under my care.” He said in response to her earlier question. Beneath the helmet, the Mandalorian’s brow furrowed as he watched the child begin to stretch out his little hand towards Systra. A look of slight surprise came over her face, but she slowly raised her own hand and gently touched her palm to the little one’s. 

The healer gasped softly, and her eyes widened. Her gaze became faraway, as though she was seeing something other than what was directly before her. The baby’s eyes had closed in concentration, a look the Mando instantly recognized. His hand came up, and he shifted his weight forward with slight alarm - ready to stop the child, or Systra, if something dangerous were occurring. But neither of them looked to be in pain - and something in the air around them overcame the Mandalorian with a sudden sense of peace. His hand lowered slowly back down to his side as he watched - unsure of what exactly was taking place between the child and Systra, but knowing it was not something he should interrupt. 

After a few moments, the child gently pulled his hand away from the healer’s. The faraway look in Systra’s eyes had ceased, her gaze coming to focus on the child with a sense of awe upon her features. Her lithe fingers remained suspended in the air a few more moments before she lowered them back down as if in a slight daze. Suddenly, a wide smile spread across her face. She looked up to the Mandalorian, her blue eyes sparkling with elation. “The Force is strong with him.”

“The Force....?” The bounty hunter’s helmet tilted to the side with curiosity, his gaze moving from the healer to the child.

Systra’s grin widened slightly before she stood up. “May I hold him?” 

The Mandalorian nodded, his thoughts abuzz with wonder at what was happening. His gaze followed the foundling as he was picked up and held against the healer’s chest gently. She came to sit on the bed, her hold on the baby soft but secure as she looked down at him. The bounty hunter saw affection in her eyes as she gazed down at the child. All of his previous nerves had gone, the knot untangled in his stomach. 

“What is...the Force?” he asked her, with slight bewilderment in his voice. 

Systra looked up, and out the one window of the cottage. Her eyes had a dreamy look to them, her voice pleasant and soft as though she were speaking of a beloved friend. “It...it’s all around us. Within us. It connects and surrounds all living things. The trees, the skies, the waters....the people.” Strands of red fell away from her face as she turned her head to look at the Mandalorian. “It touches, and holds, all living things together in the galaxy. The Force makes the stars, and us, shine.” She looked back down at the baby, who was blinking up at her sleepily. “It’s what gives the little one his power.” 

“And yours.”

At his words, the healer looked back up at the Mandalorian with a mysterious smile at the corners of her lips. “Yes.”

The bounty hunter slowly moved towards one of the two chairs beside the window and sat down, his arm coming to rest on the table next to him. “I thought it was something inherent only with his people.”

“No.” Systra had begun to gently rock the baby, who was now sleeping peacefully in her arms. “Not everyone can wield the Force, but those who can, can come from anywhere.”

The Mandalorian paused, lost in thought as the realization that he had so little knowledge of this strange sorcery dawned on him. The journey towards finding the child’s people seemed to stretch before him like an endless desert, vast and empty. He was determined to learn as much as he could from Systra, while he had the chance.

“So, are you a...?”

“A Jedi?” The healer looked back up at him, with a light laugh. “Not by any means. Becoming a Jedi isn’t the only path to the power of the Force.” She stood, quietly bringing the child back to his pod and laying him gently inside. For a moment, she looked down at the child affectionately before crossing the room to stand before the window. The bounty hunter watched her, only separated by the table between them. 

“I am an _Anreth_. We harness the power of the Force to heal. We can do other things, but that is the focus of our skills... Our purpose in life.” Her blue eyes took on a faraway look as she spoke, looking out over the forest just outside her cottage. Her hands came to rest on her forearms, wrapped about herself as if she were cold. “Our numbers dwindled after the rise of the Empire. Despite Telris being a small planet on the Outer reaches - word of the _Anreth_ and our abilities somehow reached the Empire. They sought us out, hoping to eradicate any trace of those who could wield the Force. According to our legends, the same thing they had done to the Jedi.” 

The bounty hunter felt his stomach tighten as he realized that Systra’s power undoubtedly had something to do with her being a target. Admittedly, he’d picked up the bounty puck secondhand and didn’t know much about who was actually looking for the healer. Could he have inadvertently taken on another job funded by the remnants of the Empire?

Systra turned away from the window to look at him, the look in her eyes not exactly of sadness - but of one resigned to fate. “My mentor brought me to this planet with her to hide, when I was 16. She died when I was 20.” The unbandaged hand came up to gently touch the cloudy, light blue stone she wore around her neck. “This is all I have left of her, and my home. This, and my knowledge.”

The Mandalorian nodded respectfully. He understood what it was to have everything taken away from you by the Empire. Unsure of what to say, he stared up at Systra as she looked down at the pendant in her hand. He was not used to the openness with which she revealed her past to him, and somehow it made him feel vulnerable. It was like watching a flower bloom before his eyes. 

The bounty hunter stood and moved over to the child, in subconscious hope of moving away from his discomfort - like clearing away smoke with a wave of one’s hand. His helmeted gaze stared down at the baby, searching the mess of thoughts in his head for the right question to ask Systra. He had many. “Sometimes he passes out after he uses the...Force.” The word felt strange on his lips, as if the term were from a foreign tongue. 

“I’m not surprised.” The healer came to stand beside him, her eyes trained upon the child. “It takes a lot out of me to use the Force on fatal or venomous wounds. Or to try and move large objects, things like that...” Turning to face him, she held up her hand to show him her bandaged wrist. “Yesterday, after I healed you, I collapsed...fell right on my wrist.” Lowering her arm, the healer fell silent. Her gaze came to rest upon the shining metal of the Mandalorian’s pauldron, decorated by the signet of the Mudhorn. Light from the fireplace danced upon the metallic surface, and reflected back in her eyes. The bounty hunter turned his head to meet her gaze as it moved up to his slowly. Her lips curled up slightly in a soft smile, and he felt his insides knot up again. He found himself once more unsure of what to say or do in that moment, so he turned his head to look back down at the foundling. 

“I’m going to make you two something special for supper.” After a moment, Systra’s enthusiastic voice broke the weighted silence. She had moved towards the empty basket sitting upon the small table next to her bed and gathered it up. “I can take the little one down to the stream to play when he’s finished, that way you’ll have some privacy here to eat.” 

The Mando calmly watched her flit from one point of the room to the other, scooping up her lavender cloak. “Do you need help?” 

“No no, please - kick up your feet. Make yourself at home.” she answered him, a hint of mischief in her voice that suggested she knew he wasn’t really the type to take a load off in unfamiliar situations. “I’ll be right back - I just have to gather up a few things!” With a grin in his direction, Systra left the cottage, letting the door shut behind her. 

Her joyful disposition was palpable, and the bounty hunter realized she probably didn’t get many visitors. With that realization came another: that he felt a sense of ease around Systra. The feeling was somewhat unfamiliar, given his line of work and the types of people he was usually surrounded by in his occupation. He found it almost difficult to accept her hospitality and the amount of help she had already given to him. It felt unbalanced, and he was overwhelmed with a sudden and strong urge to do something kind for her. To....repay her hospitality. 

The Mandalorian stared down at the child for a while, idly brushing at the blanket Systra had covered the little one up with. His calm, hazy thoughts of what he could do to show the healer his appreciation were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Systra crying out in fear from outside. 

  
-

Upon hearing Systra’s cry, the Mandalorian’s head whipped towards the door. He immediately hit the button on the hovering orb containing the child, closing the hatch to shield the baby inside. Blaster in hand, he sprinted out the door of the cottage.

Near the forest’s edge lay the healer’s basket, fallen over with its contents strewn across the grass. A few feet away, Systra was struggling with a humanoid almost a foot taller than she, with green skin and geometric tattoos on his face. A DC17m sniper blaster was slung across his back. He instantly recognized the Mirialan from the Bounty Hunters Guild. A rookie, in it not so much for the money - but for the sport. Arrogant, with a heart of predatorial cruelty. 

The Mirialan had his hands gripped tightly around Systra’s wrists. Her pale skin was marred by a bleeding cut near her eye - the bounty hunter had struck her. Within seconds he had crossed Systra’s arms in front of her chest and held her tightly with her back against his torso. The Mandalorian had aimed his blaster at the bounty hunter’s head, but he risked hitting Systra in the position she was in now. The Mirialan laughed as he noticed the weapon pointed at him. “You! Guess I’m not the only one with a puck for this one.” His grip on the healer’s wrists tightened painfully. 

The Mando’s other arm suddenly shot forward, releasing the cable from his gauntlet - it successfully latched onto the Mirialan’s leg and with a tug - he sent the rival bounty hunter crashing onto his backside. However, his iron grip was still firmly held around one of Systra’s wrists, and she was sent tumbling to the ground next to her would-be captor. As the Mirialan bent toward his leg to pull off the cable attached to his foot, Systra rolled onto her side. Her free hand suddenly came up and pushed in the direction of the bounty hunter, without touching him. “Get _away_!”

The Mirialan was suddenly sent flying back at least 40 feet by an invisible force, his back hitting a tree with a sickening thud. The Mandalorian hesitated for a moment as he watched - it all happened so fast. His helmeted gaze quickly shot back to Systra, her hand still stretched out, just in time to see her eyes flutter closed as she fell unconscious onto her back. He didn’t have time to go to her as the Mirialan was growling in pain and anger - one hand was already on the trigger of his DC17m and aimed at the Mando. A loud blast as the Mirialan fired the rifle sent birds flying out of the nearby treetops. 

The Mandalorian rolled out of the way in time, in the opposite direction of Systra’s unconscious form to avoid any blasts being fired her way. Another shot echoed around the clearing, just above the Mando’s helmet as he came to one knee and aimed at the rival bounty hunter’s head. It was now or never. Two shots popped off from the heavy blaster - and met their target right in the middle of his forehead. The Mirialan’s eyes were still open, unseeing, as his body slumped back lifeless against the tree. 

In a matter of seconds the Mandalorian had holstered his blaster and was running over to where the healer lay unconscious. Besides the cut on her cheek, she looked mostly unharmed. With one hand under her back and the other under her knees, he scooped up her up into his arms and began to walk swiftly towards the cottage. Systra’s head gently fell against the bounty hunter’s shoulder, her eyes remaining closed as he carried her back into the cabin and gently set her on the bed. 

Straightening back up, the Mando quickly removed one of his gloves and pressed two naked fingers to the healer’s neck. Her pulse was steady, and he tried not to notice the softness of her skin. As he quickly put his glove back on, his helmet turned towards the sealed metal orb, the child safely inside. 

He was reminded of when the little one had fallen into a deep sleep for hours after performing some miraculous feat using....the Force. The Mandalorian looked back down at the redhead once more as he felt his adrenaline begin to subside, realizing that Systra’s collapse must be for the same reason. After watching her a few more moments to be sure nothing was seriously wrong, the bounty hunter figured he should move the Mirialan’s body farther into the forest. Should anyone from the villages not far from the cottage pass by and see the corpse, more trouble could be on the way. 

He had turned away from the bed to go back outside, but was stopped when he felt Systra’s hand softly grasp his own. He turned his head to look back down at the healer, whose eyes were open, but partly lidded with exhaustion as she gazed up at him. “Thank you...” Her voice was soft and tired, but she gave him a very slight smile. The Mandalorian nodded slowly at her. He felt Systra give his hand a gentle squeeze before letting her own drop back onto the bed. Her eyes closed once more as she immediately fell into a deep sleep. 

  
-

  
_It was the same dream each time she had it, but every time felt like the first. She was floating through space, weightless and sleeping. In dreams space was not cold - the silent stars cradled her like a womb. There was no fear, no tangle of thoughts or worries for the future. All was as it was meant to be._

_A light began to shine, growing brighter through her closed lids. Her hand slowly came up to shield from its brilliance, though the light was never painful. Her eyes opened, blinking slowly to bring what was before her into focus._

_A man walked forward through the twinkling blanket of stars, his stride even despite the lack of gravity. The light shone from far behind him, a distant sun. His body mirror-like, the rays bouncing off of him like a kaleidoscope. Silvery armor, polished and shining. It reflected the light straight into her heart. The sun’s light behind him made it difficult to see his features, which were already obscured by a helm of the same noble steel as his armor. He had stopped short of a few feet from her, as she hovered gently in the quiet of space._

_Something stirred deep within her, an insistence to touch. She slowly reached her hand towards him, the womb of the stars gently moving her forward to touch the kaleidoscopic knight. As her fingertips slowly pressed towards him, he raised his hand, stretching out to meet hers. Their fingers were mere inches away before her eyes opened in waking._

  
-

  
The Mandalorian’s sleep that night was restless and broken - between the discomfort of sleeping sitting up on a chair, and waking every hour or so to check on the child and Systra. They both seemed to rest soundly. 

When morning came, the bounty hunter was already awake when Systra slowly rose up, blinking sleepily at him. A soft smile formed on her lips before she got out of bed and went about the cottage preparing a meal. Other than the cut on her cheek, the healer looked to be fine and back in her good spirits. 

Systra did most of the talking throughout the day. Around midday she turned on one of the only pieces of technology she had in the cabin - a holoproj with a playlist of music. The songs reminded him of the type of music people took Spice and danced to on Coruscant. The thought made a hint of a smile form under his helmet. 

The healer was setting the table and humming along to the music when the Mandalorian spoke up. “You shouldn’t stay here. More bounty hunters will be coming for you.” 

The redhead quirked a brow as she set the last plate down upon the table. “You mean like you did?” A hint of sarcasm was in her voice as she looked up at him, a slight smirk at the corner of her lips. 

The bounty hunter paused a moment. When he spoke again he tried to make his voice sound more reassuring somehow. “Yes. But I’m not going to—“

“I know you’re not.” Systra held up a hand to stop him, a playful chuckle lilting her voice. “Don’t worry. I sense no disturbances in the Force.” She took a step closer to him, a pleasant smile on her face. “No one’s coming... yet.”

The healer took the initiative in seeing to the child’s needs throughout the day, and the bounty hunter allowed her to do so without complaint. He sat across from her at the table, watching her feed the baby in her lap in between taking bites of the meal she had prepared for them. It was obvious to him that there was already a connection between Systra and the foundling. But then, who wouldn’t be smitten by the child’s face?

The Mandalorian watched the two of them playing down by the stream from the cottage window after their meal. Before him was a plate of food Systra had placed on the table for him. He slowly reached up and pulled the helmet off of his head, and placed it on the table with a small sigh of relief. He knew the healer would wait for him to open the front door, to signal he was finished eating and his helmet safely back on.   
Once nightfall came, the bounty hunter walked outside to make his periodic check that no one was lingering around the cottage. Inside, Systra was gently rocking the child to sleep before placing him in his pod. 

After walking around the perimeter of the cabin and finding nothing amiss, the bounty hunter leaned back against the cottage’s wall beside the front door. His gloved hands came to clasp on the front of his belt as he gazed up idly at the starry sky above. A few minutes later, Systra emerged from inside. He watched her as she slowly walked several feet from the cottage, her blue eyes gazing out at the forest beyond. Minutes passed in silence as she looked out over the treetops, before speaking to the Mandalorian in a soft tone. 

“In some ways this planet is like Telris. The forests, the climate...even some of the same plants I use in my work. Though, nothing can compare to the beauty of my home...”

The bounty hunter continued to watch her, wondering if her words were prompted by his earlier suggestion of leaving. 

“You can’t stay here.” He said after a few minutes of silence. He spoke softly, not wishing to sound like he was commanding her - only speaking out loud what she must know to be true. 

“I know.” Her back was turned to him, therefore he couldn’t read the expression of her face. But, her tone was simple - and the sound of her voice didn’t seem to carry any inflection of sadness. 

Another bout of silence passed between them, the only sound being the whispering of the trees as they blew in the night’s wind. It was the Mandalorian’s voice that broke the quiet once more.

“If you knew I was here to collect you... why did you help me?”

Systra turned halfway, not quite facing him as she spoke. Her eyes were downcast as she searched for the right words. “It’s my calling. When someone is hurt, the Force sings its song of healing to me. It would be...almost a sin not to answer its call.”

Her blue eyes slowly made their way up from the ground to the bounty hunter, her expression a bit shy as though what she had told him was not the whole story. As she continued, she slowly began to walk closer to him. “But, the truth is... The Force called me out to the woods. It sang a different song to me....one of destiny.” She looked up at him, an openness in her eyes that the bounty hunter had so rarely seen when others spoke to him. “I knew you wouldn’t harm me.”

The Mandalorian stared down at her, his gaze searching hers from beneath the helmet. She was close enough, only a couple feet away, that he could detect her scent - rose water. He felt the same knot from the previous day tangle in his stomach when a gentle smile curled her lips as she gazed up at him. There was a message in her eyes that he was trying to decipher. 

“Come with us” he heard himself say, his low, rasping voice taking on a gentle quality. “You can teach the kid what you know... if you’re willing.”

Systra looked down with a light chuckle to where her hands had begun to fidget awkwardly. “I have a feeling he could teach me a lot more.” 

The bounty hunter felt the knot in his belly grow ever so slightly as he waited patiently for her answer. The soft quality of his voice remained as he spoke to her quietly. “I’ll keep you safe.”

At his words, her fidgeting stopped and Systra immediately looked back up at him. Her lips parted slightly as she looked into the t-visor of his helmet, a touch of surprise in her gaze. A soft smile slowly graced her features once more. Turning her head towards the cottage, she looked in the direction of the child, who was safely asleep in his pod.  
.  
“Yes.” When she looked back at the Mandalorian, a smile was spreading across her features. “I’ll go with you. Tonight.”


End file.
